Arrival: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller

18

Sean’s house sat at the front side of a subdivision at the end of a cul-de-sac. The people living there had left—many of the homes sat with their front doors open and had broken windows facing the street. It appeared to Maya as if looters had already swept through the neighborhood, which didn’t bode well for the rest of the city trapped beneath the dome.

They pulled into Sean’s driveway and Reno unfastened his seatbelt. “Hang here, okay?”

Maya furrowed her brow. “You seem nervous. I thought this guy was one of your best friends.”

“He is. But, like I said, he’s different. It’ll be all right.”

Reno stepped out of the vehicle and walked up to the front door. Maya stayed in the passenger seat where she had a clear view of the front porch, watching as Reno knocked and placed his hands on his hips as he waited. Twenty seconds passed with no answer, and Reno side-stepped to a nearby window and cupped his hands around his face, trying to see inside. He knocked again, adding a ring of the doorbell this time. Turning back to Maya, he shrugged and stepped down the single step.

Then the door opened.

A man with long brown hair and a beard stepped out. Reno greeted him, but the scraggly man wasn’t paying much attention to Reno. He looked past his visitor instead, the man’s eyes darting back and forth as if he expected an attack at any moment. When he saw Maya and the rig, he pushed past Reno and ran toward it.

Maya locked her door and then jumped into the driver’s seat. She hit the locks as the guy made it to the rig and pressed his hands against the driver’s side window.

Reno caught up to him then and grabbed the guy by the arm.

“What are you doing, Sean?”

That’s Sean? What kind of friends does Reno keep?

“What am I doing?” Sean asked. “What are you doing, parking an ambulance in my front yard?”

“It’s the only vehicle we have, man.”

“Well, get it out of here before those savages find it.”

“Savages? What are you talking about?”

“Raiders. Looters. Goddamned criminals. They’re going to see this thing and want it.”

“Look, calm down. Everything’s all—”

“No!” Sean said, cutting Reno off. “This thing can’t sit here. You’ve got to move it. Put it in the garage. I don’t care where, but get it out of my driveway.”

“This thing ain’t going to fit in the garage,” Reno said.

“Then park it in the backyard, Reno. Behind the house and out of sight. Drive it through the gate.”

Reno looked into the rig at Maya. “Pull through and around back when he opens it.”

Maya looked at Sean, and then back to Reno.

“Maya?”

She waited for Sean to walk to the gate before answering Reno. “Are you sure we can trust him? He seems unhinged.”

“Aren’t we all? He’s scared. Like everyone else.”

“And what was he talking about, ‘raiders?’ Maybe we should go somewhere else.”

“It’s fine. Just pull around into the backyard, all right?”

Sean had opened the wrought-iron gate and was waiting for Maya to pull the rig forward. She shook her head and exhaled loudly enough to make Reno roll his eyes before putting the vehicle into drive and moving it into the backyard.

Sean pointed to a spot and Maya stopped there. He then went into the shed and came out holding a blue tarp. In another moment, he was jumping up onto the hood.

“Hey!” Maya said, getting out of the rig. “What are you doing?”

“I’ve got to try and hide this thing, so they don’t see it.”

“Who?”

Sean ignored her. The tarp rattled in the breeze, its edges flapping like birds. He unfolded the edges and Maya could see that the tarp would easily cover the roof of a small house.

Maya gave Reno another look then, her eyes tight and sharp, making sure he understood how uncomfortable this all made her feel. Reno held up his index finger.

“What’s going on, Sean?” Reno asked. “You gotta talk to me, man.”

“Let’s go inside,” Sean said, finishing up with the tarp. He went through the back door before either Reno or Maya could say anything else.

“I promise we can trust him,” Reno said to Maya. Then he followed Sean inside.

Maya put her hands on her hips and looked around. Reno wouldn’t lead her into a dangerous situation—she believed that without question. Taking one last look at the covered rig, she followed the men inside. She stopped just inside the back door.

Pistols and rifles of all shapes and sizes covered the kitchen table, along with boxes of ammunition. Sean sat on the sofa in the living room just beyond the kitchen, his hands wrapped around a shotgun. A pack of Marlboro Reds and a Harley Davidson Zippo sat on the coffee table amidst a sea of empty Budweiser bottles, a buck knife, and a single, thin LED penlight.

“You gonna tell me what’s going on now?” Reno asked Sean.

“There’s a gang looting this neighborhood. They’ve been going through houses, shaking people down for water, food, weapons—anything they find useful. This guy—Roy—is nothing but a low-life. He’s the one in charge.”

“Do you know him?” Reno asked.

Sean nodded. “He hangs out at the shooting range. He lives in the back of this development. Constantly jamming “Free Bird” through shitty Jensen speakers hanging in his garage. Total asshole. I would’ve banned him from my range a long time ago if he and his dumb-ass buddies didn’t spend so much money there.”

“How many people are in this gang of his?” Maya asked.

“Ten at the most. Probably closer to six. Enough to cause problems for unarmed, regular folks. Not me.”

“Have they killed anyone?” Maya asked.

“Don’t know. I don’t think Roy is that type, but I can imagine, if someone didn’t give him what he wanted, he might.”

“Jesus,” Reno said. “People are going off the rails fast.”

“Everyone’s freaking out about that dome,” Sean said. “I think Roy is convinced it’s the work of the government, and he’s ready for war.”

“So why haven’t they tried shaking you down yet?” Maya asked.

Sean put out his arms. “Look around, sweetheart. Roy knows better. They might have me outnumbered, but I’m prepared for anything. He’s come this way twice with his crew and tried negotiating with me, but I’ve chased them away both times. I don’t trust him.”

“Let’s pack all this up and get out of here,” Reno said. “We’re staying at my aunt’s place in White’s Creek. It’s quiet there, at least for now. You can come with us.”

“No can do.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not gonna leave my house just because some paranoid, redneck asshole thinks he can force me out.”

“Put your pride aside, man. You can come back once things cool off a bit.”

“And who’s to say that’s going to happen?”

“The dome will come down,” Maya said before Reno could answer. “It has to.”

Sean raised his eyebrows. “Does it?”

Maya stared at him for a moment before looking away. She felt her face flushing and butterflies taking flight in her stomach. She was responsible for Laura and Aiden, so she couldn’t believe otherwise. This craziness would end. It had to.

Sean shifted his gaze to Reno. “What are you two doing here, anyway?”

“You’re the one guy I know who has all this.” Reno gestured to the guns in the room. “I was hoping we could borrow a few.”

Sean laughed. He looked back and forth between his two guests, and then the smile disappeared.

“You’re serious?”

“You’re the only one here. Do you really need all of these?”

“With no idea of what’s next? Yeah, I do. We don’t know if that dome is ever coming down. We’re like rats in a cage, dude. Besides food and water, what do you think the next most precious commodity is going to be?”

“I’m not asking for much. A couple of pistols and maybe a shotgun. And enough ammunition to get us by. Maya and I need protection.”

“I’m sorry, Reno, I can’t do it.”

Reno shook his head. “I can’t believe you, man. After all I’ve done for you. That thing with your mom?”

“Not fair. Don’t bring that into this.”

“You know as well as I do she would have died if I hadn’t have been there to help her.”

“Screw you, Reno. None of that means shit right now.”

“Whatever.” Reno turned away and headed for the back door. “Let’s go, Maya. Coming here was a mistake.”

Outside, a car horn blared, freezing Maya and Reno.

Sean went to the window, used two fingers to split the blinds, and gazed upon the street. “Shit.”

“Who’s out there?” Reno asked.

“Who you think?”

Sean went to the sofa and picked up two handguns. He placed them in holsters, one on each hip. Then he picked up an assault rifle, made sure it was loaded, and went to the front door.

“What are you doing?” Reno asked.

“Protecting myself and my property. Second amendment.”

“You going to shoot him?” Maya asked.

“Don’t do this, Sean,” Reno said.

Sean unlocked the door and opened it. “Stay here and don’t get involved.” He slammed the door behind him.

“Shit!”

“Do you think he’ll really shoot that guy?” Maya asked, catching Reno’s eye.

“I don’t know.” Reno clasped his hands behind his head. He then went to the door.

“You’re not going out there.”

“I have to! I can’t let him do something stupid. Something he’ll regret forever.”

Outside, they heard Sean shouting at another man.

“Don’t go out there,” Maya said. “I don’t want you to get—”

A gunshot from the street rattled Maya. She dropped to the ground and covered her head. Reno ducked into another room.

Maya waited for more gunshots, but they never came.

“Oh, shit,” Reno said. “Sean!”